Perhaps you recall the case of D.C. police detective Kevin McConnell. Cops do.
In August, 2007, McConnell was on duty when he saw a man threatening the owner of a carry-out in Southeast. McConnell, a veteran who believes police should be police and keep the peace, tried to diffuse the confrontation. The man, Jason Taft, jumped McConnell.
Taft had a long rap sheet that included assaulting a police officer. He wrapped his arms around McConnell’s neck and said: “I’m going to choke you out!”
Both grabbed for McConnell’s pistol. The cop got it first and fired twice: one shot hit Taft in the leg, the second on his side. He died at the scene.
Did the Metropolitan Police Department give Kevin McConnell a commendation for risking his life in the line of duty? Did the brass visit him to see how he was healing? Nope and nope. Instead, the MPD investigated him for not having pepper spray — which the department had failed to issue.
The MPD took McConnell’s badge and gun and rescinded his police powers. A cop to the core, he was publicly humiliated. He twisted in the wind for two years, until the MPD declared him fit to serve.
McConnell is not alone. The department has given the back of its hand to dozens of good cops.
Switch to the pending Pershing Park case. In September 2002, D.C. cops rounded up and arrested protesters and folks strolling in downtown. Investigations and court proceedings have shown the cops acted improperly, under orders from the brass, including then Police Chief Charles Ramsey. The city has paid millions to settle the cases.
Now federal judges are investigating city lawyers and police officials for making evidence disappear that was crucial to the case. Magistrate Judge John Facciola has said these officials are under investigation and could face criminal prosecution.
Are any of these officials, including two top police lawyers and an assistant chief, going to be iced like McConnell was until their cases are cleared?
“My view is they will continue to be active as police officers,” D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles tells me. “There’s no evidence I’ve found that indicates misconduct.”
Fine — but who appointed Nickles judge and jury?
Nickles says he has disciplined attorneys under his purview for the way they handled evidence, which might indicate mistakes were made, as they say. But might these attorneys, especially General Counsel Terry Ryan, be vulnerable and indeed tarnished in future cases if they mishandled evidence?
And what about Assistant Chief Peter Newsham? He’s central to the investigation of who said what to whom when orders came down, what happened to evidence, whether Ramsey — now chief in Philadelphia — committed any crimes.
Why not take Newsham and Ryan off the front line until the investigation is complete — as if they were street cops charged with violating a simple regulation?
“Every case is different,” Nickles says.
Not if you are a street cop in D.C., where you are always guilty until proven innocent.
Harry Jaffe’s column appears on Tuesday and Friday. He can be contacted at [email protected].
